In the wrong place? Kudos to a femake cager!

[weekendrider]

Maybe I was, it will never happen again. Learn and live.

Standard intersection of medium size towns I guess.
Two lane going each way. The major intersections have additional lanes. One a sweeping right and two left turn lanes.

Running a little behind I opted for the inside of the left turn lanes.
I have 1/2 mile before I make a right into the parking lot.
Easy to get ahead of any traffic in the right lane and move over.
The female on my right is driving a newer Monte and probably doesn't drive slow.

As the light changed we both started out. I should have been quicker or slower.
The point being I shouldn't place myself next to a vehicle.
Half way through the intersection I see the problem coming.
A newer Caddie is coming the opposite way and she is in the right turn lane and not slowing.

Ohh we are all going to be wanting lane space at the same time. Time to go to into emergency mode. The fact that nothing happened was entirely the Monte's doing.
While I opened up trying to get ahead of the action, she laid on the horn, braked and moved to the left as much as she could without crossing the lane line. The Caddie had to nose dive to shut down.

The lesson I learned is be ready to speed up or slow down but never put myself beside of a vehicle that may need to take my space. My life is only in my hands.

 

[yamaman]

Glad you came out of it unscathed mate, yep thats one spot i try to avoid. Had a 4wd and long caravan try to take my lane, pushing me to the guard rail in the centre medium. I had only exactly enough power to pull me out of that squeeze! Its not enough to be in the right, you need to be sure you are right!

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[xjwmx]

Another occupying the same space at the same time scenario is a road with say three lanes and you're passing a car that's in the center lane, passing say on its left. Meanwhile a car is passing it on its right and you're both planning on pulling in front of the car you both just passed

 

[Travis]

xjwmx, I see that one a lot, especially when the one on the far right has a slower car a few car lengths up ahead of them, and speeds up to cut in front of the car in the center, so they don't get slowed down. And if you're the one passing on the left, and have a car behind you, you will be moving into the center lane as soon as you pass the center car to get out the way of the person behind you who wants to go faster than you. I'm somewhat convinced that if you drive faster than everyone else on your motorcycle it's safer for you.

 

[bluebikerblan]

I'm in serious need of understanding the theory behind that? Help please...Blue

 

[bluebikerblan]

...... I'm somewhat convinced that if you drive faster than everyone else on your motorcycle it's safer for you.

Elaborate please? Blue

 

[weekendrider]

Blue,
I kinda feel that way also. Traveling just a mile or so faster than the main flow lets you pick the situation. Not traveling faster than the fastest, but just a wee bit faster than the herd.

xjwmx,
It could only be worse if they are planning on cutting all the way to the inside.

You gotta stay with the game plan or something like this may happen.

 

[yamaman]

i totaly agree Travis, forward momentum is your friend!

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[xjwmx]

I'm somewhat convinced that if you drive faster than everyone else on your motorcycle it's safer for you.

To the extent that it creates a cushion of space around you. I think you could do something similar by being slower than everyone. In the former case you've got speed to contend with if you need to react and in the latter case you've got people maneuvering around you, neither an ideal thing to have. I tend to create that cushion of space around me by alternately going faster and slower Don't get to close to the guy in front, make somebody too close pass you, don't have anybody at the side. The opposite of that concept it going in and out of lanes in close quarters trying to gain a few seconds or gain a few whatever it means to you Although I think most of the people who do that are good enough to do it. Not I, though.

 

[burns]

when you run a tad faster than the flow you pretty much only have to worry about what is in front of you. I think that in general you should run 3 to 5 mph over the flow and assume that you are invisible to everybody but the cops (i.e. don't expect any cages to make space for you)

 

[Travis]

I thought that might get a reaction. I don't typically go faster than everyone else, but like in the scenario xjwmx mentioned where two people are trying to get around the same car, if you're going faster than everyone else, you wouldn't be competing for that same spot when you meet in the center lane. Of course you could just speed up right as you make the pass. It just seems like if you're going faster than everyone else, you can focus more on what is ahead of you and not so much on what's going on behind you. Also, you'd never be sitting next to a car and in their blind spot. When you go faster than everyone else, it just feels like you're more in control. Go too fast though and you'll approach other cars from the rear too fast and they won't see you coming, and might cut you off while changing lanes and not even know it.

 

[burns]

I thought that might get a reaction. I don't typically go faster than everyone else, but like in the scenario xjwmx mentioned where two people are trying to get around the same car, if you're going faster than everyone else, you wouldn't be competing for that same spot when you meet in the center lane. Of course you could just speed up right as you make the pass. It just seems like if you're going faster than everyone else, you can focus more on what is ahead of you and not so much on what's going on behind you. Also, you'd never be sitting next to a car and in their blind spot. When you go faster than everyone else, it just feels like you're more in control. Go too fast though and you'll approach other cars from the rear too fast and they won't see you coming, and might cut you off while changing lanes and not even know it.

When you go a LOT faster than the flow you scare people. Scared people do stupid things. You become a rolling hazard for others.

But there is a "sweet spot" where you can read the pattern well ahead. and naturally flow through the pack.

 

[Travis]

Yeah I'm talking like 5-10 mph faster at the most. I think we're all on the same page here.

 

[ProSimex]

Im in agreement with Travis here.

 

[DirtyErnie]

I'm a noob to all this (34, but just got the bike last fall and the license this spring), and this thread has codified all the unspoken things I feel on the road.

It's a LOT easier to keep the 'action' in front of you, stay out of blind spots, don't be where someone can merge you off the road....

+1, guys.